Skoda Laura Vs. Chevrolet Cruze: Stars and Czechs

The entry of the Chevy's new Cruze has just hotted up the mid-size segment even further. But does this teeth-baring entrant have what it takes to upset the segment favourite, the Skoda Laura?

Being at the top is great. You're way above the rest, you are popular and it mostly implies you are successful. No matter how delightful it may seem from down below, being at the top is always a struggle with the competition always finding ways to push you down. In the 10-15 lakh segment it's the Skoda Laura which has been reigning supreme for quite some time demolishing one challenger after another. This time however the Laura is up against its toughest competitor yet. A competitor who packs a mean punch yet wears a suave bow tie while at it. What we're talking about is the all new Chevrolet Cruze. The J300 as it is internally known as was introduced in 2008 and internationally served as a replacement to the Chevrolet Cobalt and the Daewoo Lacetti. Since the Cruze was developed by a global design and engineering team it definitely feels much more American unlike its rebadged Korean predecessor the Optra.

And it looks the part too. The Cruze has a chiseled, sophisticated exterior that gives nothing away to more established brands. The unusual double decker front grille treatment is particularly refreshingly. The swept back head lamps the muscular swage line gives it an extremely aggressive demeanor. The Laura was recently given a face lift wherein it received stylish new headlights, a slightly revised grille and other minute changes. Still placed next to the Cruze, the Laura looks pretty bland. And more so in white where the Laura looked like Vanilla next to Blueberry.

On the inside as well the Cruze is as radical as its exteriors. The centre console is a mix of grey, silver and glossy black surfaces. The speedo console looks neat with overlapping ovals and the chrome rings around them. The seats are pretty comfortable and offer good support in all the right areas. At the rear however, the Cruze takes a back seat to the Laura. Not only does it have less legroom but headroom also suffers thanks to the sloping silhouette. A first in this segment the car also features Keyless start stop entry which is a welcome addition to the already loaded Cruze. Get inside the Laura and the first thing one notices is how much more airy and spacious the car feels. The ergonomics are spot on and so is the quality of materials, a hallmark of the Skoda brand. Getting to the rear, 3 adults can be seated abreast comfortably with more than ample legroom. On the hot summer days the Laura also has the distinct advantage of having a separate blower for the rear passengers. The Laura however is devoid of any kind of steering controls which is shocking for a car in this segment

The other shocker was provided by the Cruze. Floor the throttle and there is considerable lag till about 1800 rpm and then all hell breaks loose. The Cruze just rockets forward riding a huge wave of torque. The 100 km/h sprint is covered in just 11.6 seconds. Keeping the pedal nailed saw us through 200 km/h with us running out of road at 207 km/h. The performance is thanks to the brilliant motor lying under that chiseled hood.

The 1991 cc VCDi unit coupled with the variable geometry turbo pumps out a 150 PS and a stump pulling 327 Nm of torque. The Laura on the other hand has to contend with the dated Pumpe Duse engine which pumps out a relatively mediocre 105 PS and 250 Nm of torque. Performance as expected is not a patch on the Cruze. Pedal to the metal makes the Laura get to a 100 km/h in 13.26 seconds while she tops out at 181 km/h. Around town though it's the Laura that's easier to drive in bumper to bumper traffic due to the relatively less turbo lag. In the Cruze you're either out of the power band and once the turbo spools up, almost on the bumper of the car in front. The power delivery is anything but linear with the turbo kicking in wildly. So one really needs to modulate that throttle well. Gear shift quality is spot on in the Laura while the Cruze tends to get notchy at times. Braking is brilliant on both cars with both of them employing discs all around. The bite on the Cruz however felt slightly better. Dropping the anchors from a 100 km/h the Cruze managed to come to a halt in 46.77 metres taking just 4.11 seconds. The Laura did the same in 45.82 metres and 3.98 seconds.

Getting down to the fuel efficiency the Cruze returned 11.64 kmpl around town and a decent 14.73 kmpl on the highway giving an overall figure of 12.41 kmpl. With a 60 litre fuel tank the Cruze will easily mange 745 km. The Laura owing to its slightly better drivability managed a slightly better 13.44 around town and 15.8 kmpl on the highway. An overall figure of 14.03 kmpl and with a 55 litre tank gives the Laura a range of 772 km.
Cruising on the highways, the Cruze felt extremely compliant absorbing any and every undulations on the road with ease. Low speed ride is a bit firm but settle down nicely as the speed increases. Shod with traditional McPherson struts upfront with a stabilizer bar in the front and mini block coil springs at the rear, the Cruze is set up more for comfort than outright handling. Take it around your favourite twisties and the Cruze does not disappoint. There is ample grip and the steering is reasonably direct. On tighter corners there is a tad bit of roll with understeer setting in as you approach its limits. The Laura is an established performer in this area and offers one of the best compromise between ride and handling. The steering offers excellent feedback while the excellent set up suspension just goads to drive faster. Ride quality around town however is slightly on the stiffer side and sharp vertical movements can upset the passengers. So although the Laura has more space at the rear, it's the Cruz that's more comfortable of the two thanks to its brilliant ride quality.
The Laura is still a great buy. It has amazing build quality, huge amount of space coupled with excellent ergonomics. If you love to drive then the Laura makes even more sense thanks to its brilliant dynamics. But the Laura has been around since quite some time and needs more than a minor facelift. The latest contender in this segment, the Cruze on the other hand looks smashing and is one of the best lookers in the segment. Looks apart it is also high on performance thanks to the brilliant 2.0 L VCDi unit. Space on the inside is slightly lesser than the Laura but the Cruze fights back with better ride quality. The top of the line Cruze is also better equipped consisting of keyless entry, sunroof, leather seats, rain sensing wipers and the works. But what really tilts the verdict in the Chevy's favour is the price. At Rs. 13,40,592 ex-showroom Delhi it is almost a lakh rupees cheaper than the less equipped Laura making it brilliant value for money. The top spot has a new entry and it's taken by the Cruze.